Chapter 7

A year has passed things have changed drastically in this forest. Groups of armed knights from the looks of there equipment travel through here almost regularly now. It did help me in one way though I managed to get myself some clothes. They dropped from the knights horse satchel when they were riding through here it wasn't much but I have been naked all this time. Now I wore a brown cotton feeling shirt with bottoms to match I did also grab a cloak its long and red it drags across the floor when I walk but its more than helpful.

Other than the knights passing through regularly I have seen some people that look like hunters following the knights. They look like hunters but I'm starting to believe there mercenaries I guess a war really has started I wonder how bad its gotten war is always a time where too much blood is spilled. Many things have changed in this year though I have been practicing using Durandal more and more at first I tried making Durandal into a gun but, as I expected not possible. The shape can be made and the general parts are all working but there just seems to be something I'm missing something important I keep forgetting.

It is perfectly fine though I have been using 2 daggers instead of a gun it is the only other thing I had used in my old life and its what feels most comfortable. Although I have used them before I by no means am at the level of a master at most I'm a little above average. What makes up for that huge gap in skill though is my ability of stealth I practiced quite a bit to hone myself this much so its the only advantage I would have over anyone currently. Well other than that another thing that is unique about Durandal is that I can pour my mana into him. Apparently not all weapons can handle mana so they break when you try to pour it inside.

Well as for Durandal's evolution and level he is at his final evolution apparently. Speaking to Durandal has given me quite a lot of information on monsters and there evolutions. Every monster can go through 3 evolutions in there lifetime as for Durandal he started off as a Spirit and slowly moved up from there apparently Spirits pertaining to the elements are the final evolution for his race. Another thing I learned is that most monsters get an evolution depending on what monster they killed when they reached level 100 but, the good news is that monster tamer can skip that step and will automatically get 4 random evolutions for there tamed monsters.

As for the others starting with Nox shes adapted her fighting style to something unique to me and her. Nox will always go into my shadow before a hunt now and one Sakura gets there attention we strike together. Right now there isn't anything in the forest we can't hunt with Nox's poison it really is strong. Well even though I say that it seems the stronger the monster the more it can resist it. We tried using her poison on another gryphon we came across it only lasted 10 minutes that's a huge difference from the initial 50.

Now knowing that monsters can resist Nox's poison we've been relying on it less and less I mean you don't want to use something like that all the time. Then if you came across something that could resist it what would you do it would just make the fight unnecessarily difficult for you since you didn't prepare. Since Nox has been staying in my shadow for so long though shes grown a habit of staying there for long periods of time apparently she just feels comfortable there. There's no real reason to argue with that I mean I can't deny that having Nox in my shadow does give me a sense of reassurance like I am being protected always.

As for Sakura her magic has gotten a lot stronger her mana went up as shes leveled up quite a bit since we started hunting daily. Sakura is now sitting at a whopping level 43 as for me I am now level 26 Nox is at 36 and Durandal cannot gain anymore levels. Sakura has been practicing with stronger magic currently though her favorite spells seem to be a fire lance and rejuvenating current at least that's what she calls them. Sakura's healing magic is truly wonderful it's a lot stronger than me healing them but that could be because of my level maybe once I get stronger ill also be able to heal them quicker.

Honestly though I am growing more and more curious as to what benefits leveling has. From the story's Durandal has told me monster tamers were once quite a coveted class he even told me that once a monster tamer reached level 100 the amount of monsters he could tame increased by 2. The reason Durandal believes that monster tamers are now hated is because people started to slow down on leveling up when he was imprisoned he thinks that most races have stopped hunting monsters to gain experience and now only level by practicing a martial art.

Even though you can gain experience by practicing a martial art it is very slow compared to hunting monsters but its much safer. It is true no matter how much of a fantasy this is its not a game. Once you die you die there is no way around that thankfully I have wonderful companions to help me along the way. Maybe I can hit level 100 and add more to my family if Durandals story is true we might get more family members in a couple of years who knows. After eating my breakfast it was time to go on our daily jog but something felt different today.

Walking out of the cave with the others I enhanced my ears with mana and I could hear the faint noise of battle happening near by. Looking towards the others I had to ask just to make sure.

“ Do you guys hear anything. “

“Yesss massster I hear battle happening coming from the eassst. “

“ As do I master “

“ I am sorry as for I am a spirit my hearing is not great I hear nothing. “

Thinking about what we should do I made my decision maybe I could get myself some more clothes who knows.

“ Were going towards the battle you 3 lets go “

Durandal changing from a necklace into a daggers we bolted towards the noise.

We ran for about 15 minutes before we were close to the battle running up behind some bushes to see what was going on I was shocked. It was 5 knights with the same emblem as the 3 that died when we first fought the gryphon. The emblem was a single rose being constricted by a snake the knights were engaged in combat with 2 gryphons they didn't seem to be doing so hot. One of the knights was already heavily injured he was bleeding pretty hard but the fight still continued I think they knew. They knew if they tried to retreat and turn there back on these 2 majestic creatures they would be slain without a second thought.

One of the knights came in close and tried to swing at the wing of one of the gryphons while it wasn't looking but alas he was swatted away by the tail before his strike came in. At this rate I think these humans will die but I don't understand what it is I'm feeling right now. Strangly enough I want to help these humans no that's not quite right I feel as if I must help them.

“ Sakura Nox were going in Nox poison the one on the right while me and Sakura kill the one on the left. “

“ Massster you want to help thessse humansss? “

“ Nox do not question master let us go “

“ Yesss let usss go “

And like that we took of to join the battle. This is how it all began this is how my life as the keeper of peace first started.

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